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Colchester Police Hunt Suspect In Brown Jacket

Detectives hunting the killer of student Nahid Almanea have revealed new details about a man they want to question.

Police said a suspect who was seen near the scene of the 31-year-old Saudi's murder was wearing a distinctive brown jacket.

The man, who is described as aged between his late teens and 30, and of average build with thick dark hair, was seen on the Salary Brook Trail, where Ms Almanea was stabbed.

They also repeated their appeal to help identify a man wearing a bright red hooded top seen running nearby.

This morning officers drained a local pond as part of their investigation but said they have yet to find the weapon used in the killing.

Det Chief Superintendent Steve Warron, who is leading the investigation, said an "intensive fingertip search" was being carried out and two other bodies of water would also be examined.

He also urged local residents to check their gardens and bins for any items they did not recognise such as bloodstained clothing or footwear, that may have been discarded by the killer.

Sky's Joe Tidy, reporting from Colchester, said police had described the latest development as significant rather than major, and that enquiries were running in parallel with the probe into the murder of Jim Attfield, found stabbed to death in the city in March.

"Police say there are obvious similarities with the murder of Jim Attfield that are too significant to ignore so they are looking to work alongside each other in both cases," he said.

Mr Attfield's mother, Julie Finch, told Sky News she was concerned that the killer or killers of her son, had not yet been found.

"You turn on the news and every story is a murder or someone is in court for murder," she said.

"Until you're in a situation where you've lost someone you don't notice it.

"But now I'm terrified for my girls. I won't go out on my own and it proves with this latest murder that it doesn't matter what time you go out or where you are. Everyone has to be so much more vigilant."

Ms Almanea was stabbed 16 times while walking along a path on Tuesday morning.

The student from Saudi Arabia had been taking an English language course at the University of Essex as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Police released a CCTV picture of the 31-year-old taken moments before her death and a map of her likely route from the home she shared with her brother to the spot on the Salary Brook trail where her body was found.

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact the Major Investigation Team on 01245 282103, Essex Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.